Anti-Americanism has always existed in Pakistan. One can explain this with reference to a number of factors, especially the divergence in the perspectives and goals of a superpower like the United States and a developing country like Pakistan that has regional/local interests.  As a matter of fact, both countries often complain about each other’s policies.

We do not intend to get into the history of the relations between the United States and Pakistan to understand why despite cooperation in many fields both diverge in some policy matters. The focus of this article is on the developments in their relations in the present-day context and why has anti-Americanism increased in Pakistan over the last couple of years.

A current controversy in Pakistan pertains to the presence of United States private security personnel in Pakistan. The polemical exchanges on this issue caused temporary strains in the relations.

The criticism of the presence and activities of United States personnel in and around Islamabad, Peshawar, Lahore and, occasionally elsewhere is not merely limited to Islamists. A large number of others in the politically informed circles express varying degrees of apprehension of what they view as unjustified and unnecessary American presence in Pakistan.

A combination of Islamist and nationalist sentiments on these issues has provoked ultra-nationalism in many parts of Pakistan, especially in the Punjab, where Islamist and rightist sentiments are relatively strong.  This disposition expresses serious doubts about the United States policies towards Pakistan.  This perspective is also supported by a section of liberal/left that continues to entertain the old-fashioned notion of the United States as an Imperial Power.

Such anti-U.S. sentiments run deep into official civilian and military circles where strong doubts are raised about the U.S. policies towards Pakistan and especially about the increased presence of U.S. personnel in Pakistan.  The intensity of criticism varies. Most Islamists describe the U.S. presence in Pakistan as a major threat to Pakistan’s internal security and especially to Pakistan’s nuclear program. Others are less suspicious but their skepticism is noticeable.  Some Pakistanis with military and intelligence background view American personnel as a possible source of rogue operations and one of the possible causes of the suicide attacks at the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad and Pearl Continent Hotel in Peshawar.

Islamic parties and groups are in the forefront of anti-American campaign. There are two major reasons for the resentment of Islamic groups and parties.

First, the Islamists have been the main losers of Pakistan’s participation in the U.S. sponsored ‘war against terrorism.’ They were the main allies of the U.S. until 1990 when the U.S. pulled out of Pakistan. However, most of them continued to enjoy the support of the Pakistani state because Pakistan was relying on different Islamic groups for advancing its foreign policy agenda in Indian-administered Kashmir and Afghanistan. Pakistan was the main supporter to the Taliban movement (1994-2001). Pakistan joined the war on terrorism and turned its back the Taliban which made the Islamic groups unhappy. However, the government did not push the Taliban very hard and kept good relationship with the MMA, a coalition of 6 Islamic parties. It was from 2007 that the relations began to deteriorate between the Taliban and the government of Pakistan.  The Islamic parties opposed Pakistan’s counter terrorism policy because they lost their importance. They thought that Pakistan was doing this on the behest of the U.S. and thus also turned their guns against the U.S.

Second, the Jamaat-i-Islami and other Islamic parties openly opposed the security operation against the Pakistani Taliban in Swat. However, the public response was not favorable to their support for Taliban. They changed gears and began to target more the U.S in order to cash on anti-U.S. sentiments. They argued that the Taliban are friends of Pakistan but those engaged in bombings and other violent activities are not real Taliban but the hired agents of the U.S., India and Israel that want to destabilize and undermine Pakistan.

These parties get more response for criticizing the U.S. rather than on criticizing the Pakistan military for its anti-Taliban operations.  Some of anti-Americanism can be attributed to the failure of the government of Pakistan to explain the issue of presence of U.S. private security personnel in Pakistan.

It seems that sections of the Pakistan government, especially the ISI want anti-America sentiments to stay strong in order to counteract the repeated U.S. demand to Pakistan to “do more” for counter-terrorism and periodic complaints of alleged ISI links with some Taliban and other militant elements. The ISI has used its links in the media and with some sections of the political activists to play up the criticism of the U.S. This discourse also focuses on the drone attacks in the tribal areas and the case of Dr. Afia Siddiqui.

It is interesting to note that in the recently held by-elections in Rawalpindi the candidates of the Jamaat-i-Islami and the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (Imran Khan) lost miserably. Both parties are known for sympathy for the Taliban and anti-U.S. sentiments.

Anti-America sentiments are expected to persist in Pakistan but their intensity will dilute as the Pakistan military secures more successes against the Taliban in the tribal areas and the U.S. initiates more human welfare and development projects in Pakistan.

Author:Dr. Hasan Askari